Lightning-arrester for telegraph-circuits



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Model.)

J. W. DYER.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER FOR TELEGRAPH CIRCUITS. No. 272,897.

Patented Peb.27, 1883.

MM 0 $7M" fli, A), 2

III

(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. W. DYE-R.

, LIGHTNING ARRBSTER FOR TELEGRAPH GIRGUITS.

' No. 272,867. .Patented Feb.27,1883.

uK-H: e5 1: X INen-i: 01:

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH 'W. DYER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LlGHTNlNG-ARRESTER FOR TELEGRAPH-CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,867, dated February27, 1883.

Application filed October 12, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOSIAH W. DYER, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement inLightning-Arresters for Electric Circuits, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has reference tollghtning-arresters t'or telegraphiccircuits and it consists in an insulating medium interposed in thelinewires, which, during the normal statical condition of theelectricity in said circuit, offers a sufficient resistance to thepassage of electricity to the ground, causing an insulation; but whenthe line-wires become overcharged by lightning the high potential of thecurrent will very readily remove the insulation and ground the current,thereby freeing the linecircuits of their excess of electricity of hightension, without breaking said line-circuits, the saidmechanism,immediately after grounding the electric charge, automaticallycausing the interposition of a new insulation between said line-circuitsand ground-wires, and in many details of construction, all of which arefully set forth in the following specification,

and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

Heretoi'ore lightning-arresters for telegraphic circuits have been madeto automatically ground the line-wires should they become overchargedwith electricity from lightning or dynamo-electric machines; but alterthe discharge of the excess of current the said line-wires remainedgrounded, and were required to be insulated again by manual labor, orthe line-circuits were completely broken, and the insulation waseii'ected through the medium of the air alone and wide separation ofcontacts. This of necessity causes much delay in the transmission ofmessages, for upon the line being grounded its location is notascertained until located, and when such instruments are placed at theterminus of a cable in which the wires are insulated, and in many placesvery distantfrom any telegraphofiice, it causes a great loss of time tothe operator, who must hunt up the place of grounding.

The object of my invention is to provide suitable and ready means toautomatically ground the line-circuit under the conditions hereinbef'orespecified, and after discharging the excess of current to automaticallyreinsulate the said line-circuit from the ground, whereby there is noloss of time due to the wire remaining grounded. This is particularlyadvantageous at points distant from stations-as the terminus of anunderground or submarine cable--and where no operators are inattendance.

In the drawings,l igure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improvedlightning-arrester on line 00 m. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same. Fig. 3is an elevation showing a modified form of magnets for operating thearmature which controls the clock-work, and Fig. 4 is a plan view ofsame. Fig. 5 shows the adaptation of an induction-coil to operate theescapement-armature. A

A is the bed or base plate of the apparatus.

B is the clock-work, which is provided with the escapementwheel 0,provided with a pin or stud, c. The rotation of the clock-work isarrested by the pin 0 coming in contact with the arm (I, secured to thepivoted armature l).

D is a stop, and G is a spring to draw the armature away from theelectro-magnets E F and cause the arm (I to arrest the movement otthepin 0. The electro-magnet E is wrapped with line wire and is of highresistance, while the magnet F is wrapped with coarse wire and is of lowresistance.

J is the ground-roller, and is adapted to be rotated by the clock-work Bwhen the arm (I frees the pin 0. The ends of the shaft of roller J restagainst springs I, which are connected by wire V, which is connected tothe magnet F by wire W and to magnet E by wire W, and these two magnetsare respectively connected by wires Y and X with ground-wire Z. Arrangedabove roller J are the linerollers N, of which there are as many asthere are line-wires. These rollers are carried by bearings 0, no! chedatp for the reception of the axes n of the rollers N, and which are keptin place and electrical contact by springs 1?. These hearings O aresecured to an insulator-support, 0. Upon an insulator-bar, above theapparatus, are placed two series of binding-posts, S and S, into whichthe two poles of the line-wires are placed, as shown. One of theseposts, S, and

one, S, are respectively connected by wires r to the two bearings O,which carry each roller N, as shown, whereby the line-currents arecaused to pass through said rollers at all times, except when they aregrounded. U is a paper-wheel, upon which is wound a roll ofinsulating-paper, U, which passes between the rollers N and J, and uponthe roller M, which is rotated by means of gearing K L.

The operation is as follows: When the linecircuits are charged only withbattery-power, the currents pass through the rollers N without burningorcarbonizing the paper U, which insulates them from the ground-roller J;but

just as soon as the line-wires are struck by lightning the intensity ofthe current is so great that the paper U under the rollers N is burnedor carbonized, thereby grounding the line circuits by allowing therollers N to become electrically in contact with roller J. Theelectrical charge then passes through wire V, and is divided into twocurrents, proportioned to the resistance offered by the high and lowresistance magnets E F, and after passing through the said magnets it isrecombined and passes to ground. In passing through magnets E I thearmature I) is attracted and oscillates, freeing the pin 0 and allowingthe clock-work to be set in motion, rotating the roller J and causingfresh paper to be fed between it and rollers N, thereby automaticallyreinsulating said line-circuits. The object of using two magnets ofdifferent resistances is, that if the entire charge passed through themagnet E of high resistance it would tend to burn the insulation andpreventthe machineworkingautomatically. Consequently the greaterquantity of current is allowed to pass freely to ground through the lowresistance magnet F, enough passing through the high-resistance magnetto insure its working without injury. Again, it the lightning-currentfailed to free the escapement, the line-batteries, acting on the higl1-resistance magnet E, would cause it to act and insure positive action ofthe machine, and when such an instrument is used in telephony it isnecessary to use a magnet of high resistance to enable the reinsulationto take place when ringing upastation with the simple magneto-generatorsnow in use.

The apparatus as shown is adapted to eight line-circuits, but may bemade to take in as many as desired. Upon the discharge of the current,which was increased by the discharge ofthe entire battery-power, thespringG causes the armature D to oscillate and arrest the furtherrevolution oi the escapementwheel 0; but the escapement will not bearrested until every line-circuit T is reinsulated.

I do not contine myself to use two magnets of different resistances, asset forth, as a single magnet may be used; or, if desired, a series ofmagnets may be arranged as shown in Figs. 3 and I, in which are arrangeda series of horseshoe-magnets, one leg of which only is provided with ahelix, as shown. The wire V is divided into a number of circuits, andafter passing through each of the helices of the magnets they reunite,thus reducing the resistance in any one electro-maguet, therebypreventing any danger from the high tension of the electricity when theline-circuits are charged by lightnin The free legs of the.

magnets also help in attracting the armature.

In place of the simple magnet-or magnets to actuate theescapement-armatnre, I may use an induction-coil, as shown in Fig. 5. Inusing an induction-coil the line-circuits are grounded through thecoarse or primary wire, and the inducedcurrent in the secondary wirecauses the core to become magnetized and attract the armature and freethe escapement. By this means the electric currentof high tension isdischarged through a low-resi tance coil, there by preventing burning ofthe insulation; but as this alone is not reliable enough to insureperfect freeing ot' the escapement in all cases, I rely upon thesecondary coil of fine wire to magnetize the core and attract thearmature to free the escapement.

I do not limit myself to the particular construction shown, as myinvention comprehends, broadly, the arrangement of automatic mechanismto ground the line-circuit when overcharged with electricity, withautomatic mechanism to reinsulate the said line-circuit after thedischarge of the excess of current.

In place of the metal contact-rollers, I may use carbon rollers orcontacts, as they resist corrosion or fusion; and, to simplify theconstruction,the upper rollers may all be on a single shaft andinsulated from each other, and the electric current brought down bysprings which rest upon said rollers.

In this application I do not claim, broadly, mechanism to ground theline-circuit in combination with mechanism to automatically reinsnlatesaid line-circuits without breaking the said line-circuits, and also twocarbon contacts with an interposed non-conducting medium, as thesefeatures will form subject-matter of a future application.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lightning-arrester, two electric contacts, one in circuit withtheline-wire and the other in circuit with the ground, in combinationwith aninsulating medium interposed be tween said contacts, andmechanism to automatically move a fresh part of said insulating mediumbetween said contacts, should the one already then be destroyed by thepassage of an excess of electricity.

2. In a lightning-arrestcr, two contact-rollers, one of which is incircuit with the linewire and the other in circuit with the ground, incombination with a strip of insulating material interposed between saidrollers, mechanism to cause said rollers to rotate, and means actuatedby the discharge of electricity from the line-circuit to control theirrotation.

3. In a lightning-arrester, two contactroll- ICC ers, one of which is incircuit with the linewire and the other of which is in circuit with theground, in combination with a strip ofinsulating material interposedbetween said rollers, mechanism to cause said rollers to rotate and feedthe insulating material, an escapement mechanism, and one or moreelectromagnets in the ground-circuit to control said escapement.

4. In a lightning-arrester, two contact-rollers, one of which is incircuit with the linewire and the other in circuit with the ground, incombination with an insulating material interposed between said rollers,means to automatically feed said insulating material, an escapement tocontrolsaid feed mechanism, an armature to control said escapeinentmechanism, and two electro-magnets-one of high and the other of lowresistance-arranged in the ground-circuit.

cuit, and two electro-magnets'one of highand one of lowresistanceinterposed in said ground-circuit to control said automaticinsulating mechanism.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

JOSIAH W. DYER.

Witnesses:

R. M. HUNTER, JOHN W. STEWARD.

